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Research shows that businesses that engage in collaborative innovation with research organisations are 242 per cent more likely to report increases in productivity compared with non-innovating businesses.

Businesses of all sizes across the energy resources sector are looking to be more entrepreneurial and innovative through commercial application of research, and they now have a clear way forward with the release of a new tool for successful industry-led research collaboration.

National Energy Resources Australia (NERA) has released Are You Research Ready? - a tool that provides companies looking to do business in the energy resources industry with a clear six-step pathway to research engagement in Australia. The tool will allow businesses to better identify and collaborate with researchers.

NERA chief executive Miranda Taylor said through NERA’s extensive engagement with the energy resources sector, it became very clear that many businesses did not currently have the knowledge or capabilities to strategically prepare for engagement with researchers. They often understand their commercial issues but struggle to investigate and articulate these for the research environment.

“NERA has been working extensively with the energy resources sector since we commenced operation in 2016. It quickly became apparent to us that SMEs in particular were not engaging with the research community and large operators were having mixed success,” Ms Taylor said.

Ms Taylor says that to be succesful in today’s rapidly changing technological environment businesses need to clearly articulate what they want to achieve and scope out applied research questions.

“Publicly funded research organisations such as universities and state and federal laboratories are ready and available to engage in various collaborations."

Contributions, videos and images supplied by:Western Australia Government: Department of Agriculture, Department of Fisheries, Department of Mines and Petroleum, Department of Premier and CabinetDepartment of State Development, Tourism WA, The University of Western Australia, Australian Marine Complex, Small Business Development Corporation, Department of Training and Workforce Development, Department of Health, Elyse Marks Imaging